Speaker critiques U.S.

To mend the “marriage” between the United States and the United Nations, U.N. Foundation Senior Adviser Gillian Martin Sorensen called on the U.S. to cease U.N. bashing and fully commit to the U.N.’s diplomatic approaches in a lecture Thursday at the Photonics Center.

Sorensen said the U.S needs to lead by example and bashing the U.N. only damages the U.S.’s reputation as the “leader of the free world.” She called on the quiet majority that supports the U.N. to speak out and educate others about the importance of the U.N.

“The U.S. treats the U.N. as an organization of convenience,” she said, “instead of an organization of conviction.”

Sorensen said she worked for the U.N. for 20 years and served as Assistant Secretary General for External Relations.

College of Communication Dean John Schulz said U.N. bashing is rare in other parts of the world, but commonplace in the U.S.

“A flawed U.N. is a flawed world,” he said. “Human beings are what this institution is about.”

Sorensen also criticized America’s lack of knowledge about the U.N. in the media and in the general public. The media focuses on the scandals and controversies, but they fail to report on the U.N.’s achievements. Sorensen also said America needs to educate the public more about what the U.N. does and its international role, Sorensen said.

“The media needs to study the issues,” she said. “They need to teach, inform and create a background of knowledge.”

COM sophomore Monika Plocienniczak said she interned for Sorensen in New York City over the summer and brought her to BU to educate students about the U.N.

Sorensen said the U.S. needs to pay its dues in full and on time. The U.S. needs to recognize human rights in the Geneva Convention and not allow Americans to torture with impunity, she added.

America needs to remember that leadership in the U.N. is a privilege and an opportunity, Sorensen said.

College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Mabell Fernandez said her view as an international student gives her a different perspective on global issues.

“Because I’m from Latin America, I’ve experienced how the U.S. is viewed [globally],” she said. “The foreign policies of the U.S. are purely self-motivated.”

COM freshman Steve Timberman said he agreed with Sorensen’s overall message, but thought she was too idealistic about the U.S. fully committing to the U.N.

Sorensen added that the U.N. also needs to work on improving itself, but that the U.S. needs to first fully commit to fighting for global humanitarian issues, like poverty, hunger and public health.

College of Arts and Sciences freshman Aaron Rubin said because the U.N. is a Western institution, it’s a major roadblock to reform. Non-Western countries are less likely to adhere to U.N. policies because they are modeled after Western principles, Rubin said.

This global awareness is something vitally important, CAS freshman Meredith Gray said.

“The U.S. needs to change its mindset [toward the U.N.],” she said. “The government needs to change its willingness to work with the U.N.”